The “story cafe” brings back the turning point
Agnès Arp and Hariet Kirschner from the University of Erfurt want to track down memories of the turning point in Erfurt in 1989/90
“Our storytelling café invites local personalities to approach the history of the city of Erfurt in a direct way with a view to the political upheaval in 1989/90.” This is the description of the initiators of the event, Agnès Arp and Hariet Kirschner.
Hariet Kirschner (left) and Agnès Arp
The story café is therefore more than just a “history lecture”. It is a place of exchange where people from the city of Erfurt can gather and share memories in a relaxed atmosphere. The convivial setting of the café in Haus Dacheröden invites you to talk openly and freely, which leads to a lasting exchange.
The Dacheröden house on the Anger
The invited people who share their stories in the storytelling café provide an idea of how history is experienced subjectively. They tell how their personal experiences are intertwined with larger historical events. The aim of the storytelling café is to pass on history orally and to bring it to other people.
During the series of events, the storytelling café attaches great importance to a respectful and non-judgemental exchange about experiences. Each event begins with a short introduction of the person in question. In the following moderated conversation, memories of the eventful time of 1989/90 will be made accessible. The second part of the event follows after about an hour. Now visitors have the opportunity to exchange ideas and ask questions.
Overall, the storytelling café offers a unique opportunity to gain personal insights into the history of the city of Erfurt. The series of events is a tribute to the people who lived during this eventful time and to their stories, which should still be heard today.
Unrenovated houses on the Boyneburgufer Erfurt.
For Mrs. Dr. For Arp, this project is a matter close to his heart. She experienced the political change and the collapse of the GDR in Paris, which was still far away at the time. Today she lives in Thuringia and, as a historian, has specialized in the upheaval of the GDR citizens in 1989/90. As a photo reporter, she traveled to East Germany and Eastern Europe in the 1990s. This is where she discovered her interest in narrated history. Today Agnès Arp heads the oral history research center at the University of Erfurt.
If you would like to tell your story in this context or just need some information, you can find it all here: